This was my first time going to see the UBC Symphony Orchestra and I was blown away! This particular day they performed A Northern Suite by John Luther Adams, Jean Francaix’s Clarinet Concerto and Claude Debussy’s La Mer.
The first piece was rather abstract. More instrumental in comparison to the others. It had five different movements that were all very ‘atmospheric’. The movements were trying to create a feeling of being in a cabin in the mountains during the winter. It was definitely something that is trying to create a mood or feeling related to human senses. Contrary to sonata form, I feel like every movement in this work didn’t alter their tempo. New themes weren’t introduced in such a way that would suggest sonata form either. Rather, ambiguous sounds, often without any rhythm, painted a picture of a snowy, wintery wonderland.
The second piece preformed by Carlos Savall-Guardiola and originally composed by Jean Franciax was a lot easier to identify themes and movements. The Clarinet Concerto has four different movements that really showcased Carlos’ virtuosity. The first allegro movement introduced the initial theme which is jumpy tune. Homophonic in nature, as there is only one melodic line, the initial theme is accompanied by the bass horns very well. I feel like using the horns that have a little more bass complement the clarinet quite well. As the clarinet is very sharp and juxtaposed the roundedness of the bass. The first movement concludes with the orchestra giving the clarinet a recitative of sorts. This solo is very operatic and tells a story with little use of ostinato.
The second movement of the Clarinet Concerto is in triple meter and at a tempo that is moderately fast but definitely slower than the first. The rhythm is controlled by the string section. To the ear you predominately hear the strings minuet contribution supporting the clarinet. As the theme develops, some horns come in to contribute to the 1, 2, 3. I also did notice some horns that weren’t contributing on every beat but only on the one to provide more depth.
The third movement was andante or andantino. It almost is like the clarinet is a dandelion seed floating in the wind. The orchestra, to my ear, supports the clarinet by switching back and forth from major and minor modes to create a story. After the first theme, the orchestra seems to be playing the primary melody as the clarinet plays many virtuosic arpeggios to create this whimsical feeling of flying. All in all, a very relaxed section.
The last and final movement is the last ‘hoorah’ simple because the tempo is even faster than the first section. The meditation that was occurring during the andante movement is violently interrupted by the pace and dissonance lead by the clarinet. It showcases violent violin jabs and breaks that allow the clarinet to contribute a trill.
The third and final piece of the day entitled La Mer was another instrumental/atmospheric composition that had no specific rhythm or meter. Like the titles of the three parts of the composition suggest, La Mer dramatizes the relationship between the earth’s elements by creating a dialogue within the orchestra. Especially in the second part of the piece entitled Play of the Waves is just that. The movement starts off relatively slow. Like a sunrise peaking out from the horizon and gleaming on the calm ocean. Then it picks up. Like the afternoon swells that can tip a freighter.